THE MANUFACTURE OF CAMEMBERT CHEESE. 5 
Table 3. — Water and salt in 6 samples of imported Camembert cheese. 
Sample No. 
Water. 
Salt. 
Sample No. 
Water. 
Salt. 
1 
Per cent. 
48.10 
47. 9S 
49. 34 
47.95 
Per cent. 
2.25 
2.18 
2 34 
Per cent. 
48.38 
47.06 
Per cent. 
2.32 
2 
6 
3.07 
3 
Average 
4 
3.04 
48.13 
2.63 
A typical ripe Camembert cheese should contain approximately 50 
per cent water and 2.5 per cent salt. Undersaltkig may result in a 
cheese with undesirable flavors, while oversalting may become offen- 
sive to the taste. 
Most imported cheese contains from 47 to 50 per cent moisture, 
while the domestic cheese probably averages between 50 and 53 per 
cent. A cheese with a good keeping quality should contain less than 
50 per cent moisture when fully ripened. Some of the fully ripened 
cheese acquires a strong, disagreeable odor and flavor of ammonia. 
Drying the cheese so that it will contain less than 50 per cent mois- 
ture necessitates a longer curing period than is commonly used in 
this country, and greater allowance must be made for shrinkage so 
that each cheese will completely fill and snugly fit its box. 
The size of the cheese, the presence or absence of foreign molds, 
the proper proportion of Camembert mold and reddish slime, and the 
degree of firmness and ripeness are the most common factors in 
judging the quality of a Camembert cheese on the market. 
QUALITY OF MILK REQUIRED. 
Fresh, clean milk is essential for success in the manufacture of 
Camembert cheese. Normally the acidity of the milk may be judged 
by testing with one-tenth normal sodium hydroxkl. Where diffi- 
culty is experienced in holding in check gassy fermentation, the use 
of the methylene-blue reduction test is advised as a method of select- 
ing milk suitable for the manufacture of this cheese. 
) THE MAKING PROCESS. 
STANDARDIZING THE MILK. 
It is usually advisable to skim milk testing high in fat for making 
Camembert cheese. The milk may be skimmed to not less than 3.5 
per cent fat without injury to the quality of the cheese. Some may 
skim to a lower point than this, but it is not advisable to do so, be- 
cause skimming too close will impair the quality of the cheese by 
causing it to become too hard and dry. and, further, because fat made 
into Camembert cheese may usually be sold as profitably as when 
made into butter, or even more so. The Federal standard requires 
that the cheese contain 45 per cent of fat in the dry matter. 
QUANTITY OF STARTER TO USE. 
From 1 to 2 per cent of an active commercial starter is advised 
for the making of Camembert cheese. Buttermilk starter has been 
used occasionally, but a reliable commercial starter is more depend- 
